Shloka 33
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
शल्य उवाच विरम विरम कर्ण कत्थना- दतिरभसो&प्यतिवाचमुक्तवान् | क्व च हि नरवरो धनंजय: क्व पुनरहो पुरुषाधमो भवान्,शल्यने कहा--कर्ण! बस, अब बढ़-बढ़कर बातें बनाना बंद करो, बंद करो। तुम अधिक जोशमें आकर अपनी शक्तिसे बहुत बड़ी बात कह गये। भला, कहाँ नरश्रेष्ठ अर्जुन और कहाँ मनुष्योंमें अधम तुम?
śalya uvāca | virama virama karṇa katthanātirabhaso 'py ativācam uktavān | kva ca hi naravaro dhanaṃjayaḥ kva punar aho puruṣādhamo bhavān ||
Śalya said: “Stop, stop, Karṇa—cease this boastful talk. Swept up by excessive ardor, you have spoken words that go far beyond measure. For where is Dhanaṃjaya Arjuna, the best of men—and where, indeed, are you, the lowest among men?”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns against overconfident, exaggerated speech born of rash excitement. Ethical restraint in words—avoiding boastful overreach—is presented as crucial, especially in a high-stakes context like war where pride can cloud judgment and invite downfall.
Śalya, serving as Karṇa’s charioteer, sharply checks Karṇa’s self-assertion by contrasting him with Arjuna (Dhanaṃjaya). The rebuke functions as psychological pressure and a strategic undermining of Karṇa’s confidence on the battlefield.